Category: Outside PH

If there must be a headline above the signage of this restaurant, it should read “NO COMPLIMENTARY HERE.” The imaginary headline felt necessary because that phrase kept coming to mind while we were having dinner at Guangzhou’s No. 1 Spicy Hall 广州1号香辣馆 near Beijing Road in Guangzhou, China. It was the first and only restaurant during our vacation where we were hugely disappointed (read Service part below).

Review of Guangzhou’s No. 1 Spicy Hall 广州1号香辣馆 (Near Beijing Road, Guangzhou)

Ambiance: ★☆☆☆☆

Interior design was very plain and not up to the mark. The atmosphere suffered because of darkness and the stressful feel of the staff. Also, with cartons piled up beside the dining tables, the two-story restaurant did not look decent but dingy and far from spotless. 看起来那么老了，多年没重新设计。

Service: ★☆☆☆☆

Service was weird, choppy, and frustrating in multiple accounts. It was okay in the beginning as there was no wait time and the waitress quickly responded with food recommendations when we came in. (Note: All text on the menu were in Chinese, and the staffs could only speak and understand Chinese.)

Later, a complete set of plate, bowl, and cup wrapped in plastic, a glass of cold water, sheets of tissue paper, utensils (wooden chopsticks and spoon), and house tea were provided on the table as we moved to the dining scene. For the record, we assumed, as any regular diner would, that those basic items were complimentary for use. Little did we know that we had to pay for them on top of our orders. Seriously?

I talked to the staff and the owner, contesting that they should not charge us for things that were not specifically mentioned had usage fees in the first place. I then wondered if this is normal in China. We did not even touch the tea. In the end, only the plate, bowl, cup, utensils, and tissue paper remained on the bill, which summed up to RMB 6 per person, over the food items.

Lack of attentiveness and lack of support for customer’s needs were also seen as problems. It felt like we were in school again, as we needed to raise our hands to get the server’s attention many times. Without trying to make eye contact, servers continually walked by us. Our table was positioned just beside the main counter, so it was truly impossible for them not to see. Le sigh.

缺乏注意力和缺乏对客户需求的支持也被视为问题。这感觉就像我们在学校，因为我们很多次需要提高双手来获得服务器的关注。我们的桌子上刚好位于旁边的主计数器，所以他们真正不可能没看到。

Food: ★★★★☆

广州1号香辣馆 knows how to do the classics right, and this plate of Pan-fried Dumplings 私房煎饺 (RMB 22) was a great example of that. There were better starters on the menu, but this one held us over just fine. With a hefty portion of flavorful pork filling, the dumplings were perfectly done with slight charred and a nice crispness on the skin. They weren’t at all oily, which was great, but maybe the pastry was a tad thick. Accompanying sauce was hot, giving that needed extra punch. 真心的美味，非常好吃，份量足够。

Next we had the Basil Chicken and Snail 紫苏田螺鸡 (RMB 48), which clearly took a lot of skill and technique to cook. It was exciting to eat, since the process of eating it was actually a lot like digging around in your back yard for snails and digging them out with a toothpick. The exquisite snail tasted like the bottom of the ocean. Glorious! 🙂

However, if you’re not a fan of something unusual, getting this may be likened as driving to a wrong turn or speeding off a cliff. Bounce back a bit with the chicken. Juicy and delectable, the basil chicken was slightly salty, sweet and strong. Taste was all-around excellent, but the annoying factor was it had too many bones. 🙁

Yangzhou fried rice rouses some sort of worldly must-eat-it-all instinct that’s almost impossible to quell. Similarly, the Guangzhou Fried Rice 广州炒饭 (RMB 22) or “Cantonese-style fried rice” was one dish we could not leave without ordering. The fried rice was salty and satisfying, with spiciness also kicking in every mouthful. Scrambled eggs, carrots, and chunks of meat were in the right proportion and size.

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

While 广州1号香辣馆 is certainly a place to check out once for a unique dining experience, this restaurant didn’t leave us ever wanting to come back for more. With better ambiance and service, it could have gotten a more positive rating in this review.

In terms of food tastes though, there was nothing much to complain about. With the dishes we tried, we found ourselves stunned at how Cantonese cuisine can be super rich and decadent in flavor.

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To go up the Canton Tower or not was a debate between my boyfriend and me, since ticket prices are by no means cheap. But ask us if it’s a good idea to have dinner before going up the tower and you’ll get an easy answer. It’s a resounding yes! 🙂 Problem was, there’s not a lot of restaurants in the area and the more decent-looking ones are really expensive. Left without much choice, we ended up reserving seats at CHOPSTIX Restaurant (筷子荟餐厅). Prices of a la carte items on the menu were high, so we just hoped that they would be justified by the food quality.

CHOPSTIX, located at the basement of the Canton Tower, was the first restaurant we spotted from descending at the Canton Tower metro station. It is an Asian specialty restaurant that caters a unique and festive fusion of authentic Cantonese cuisine and Southeast Asian delicacies.

Review of Chopstix Restaurant 筷子荟餐厅 (Canton Tower 广州塔, Guangzhou)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

The restaurant was spacious and well-decorated in earth-color tones. Dominating bright lights, wooden furniture, and brick-imitated walls made the interior ambiance feel cozy in contemporary style and nothing quite oriental. Through the open kitchen and bar counter, dining guests could see the skilled chefs showing their exquisite culinary skills.

Although varying in shapes (round, square, and rectangular), tables and chairs were of the same finish, providing a visual line of repetitive elements that is both attractive and hypnotically fascinating to the eye.

Service: ★★☆☆☆

We were third on the waiting list and upon stepping inside, we found that the crowds were not as demanding and not as full. In fact, several tables were unoccupied at the back. Still, the receptionist did not allow people to come in. We guessed that the management was short in staff and more diners could not be accommodated at the peak of dinner hour. Beyond doubt, serving speed was too slow and wait time was long. The staffs were not welcoming, not attentive, and not so friendly.

Food: ★★★★☆

When far from home, there is always a familiar nostalgic feeling whenever I encounter places that serve authentic Chinese food in an elegant setting. The thing is, once I smell that beautiful intoxicating aroma of Chinese spices and familiar dishes, I’ll somehow feel like home. This happened while waiting for our orders at CHOPSTIX. 🙂

Beef chow fun is a classic entree in the Cantonese cuisine repertoire, and it’s one of my favorites. Chopstix’s version of the Wok-fried Rice Noodle with Beef 乾炒牛河 (RMB 58) was done right, very much like Wan Chai’s beef horfun in Chinatown, Philippines. The rice noodles were springy and firm, sticky and tender. What I loved most about it was the charred flavor called wok hei (or in English, “the essence of the wok”).

Another dish we shared was the Kung Pao Chicken 腰果宫包鸡丁 (RMB 58), complete with slightly gloppy sauce and mild heat. We ordered a bowl of steamed white rice separately to fully enjoy the diced chicken with Sichuan peppers and peanuts in sweet, sour, and zesty sauce.

All we needed was one singular bite of this glorious, rich concoction to confirm our love for it. The kung pao chicken was juicy and with browning characteristics, it was easy to find that the marinade was designed to optimize its natural meatiness.

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

Price for value was so-so. Food tastes were good but without that big WOW factor expected from such restaurant associated with the Canton Tower. It’s best to come with an appetite here, since the portions of food are meant for sharing.

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The first day of our itinerary in Hong Kong was so jam-packed, but still we found a weeny bit of time to explore Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) and go “panic shopping” even for two hours before calling it a day. From Hong Kong Ocean Park 海洋公园, we asked our tour bus driver to drop us at TST and he gladly did. In TST, we saw high-end brands of clothing, shoes, bags and accessories. Ahead of shopping time, dinner came as priority. It was a must to eat, or else our energy level would be down to zero. The least I aspired for was to be knocked unconscious because of hunger. 😛 So, this brings us to the question: Where to eat in Tsim Sha Tsui?

Finding a decent local Chinese restaurant where we could taste local Hong Kong food ate up much of our time. Apparently, we were down at Kimberley Road, which is like the little Korea town in Tsim Sha Tsui. Lots of Korean restaurants and shops stood, and they even expand to the neighboring roads: Nathan Road, Chatham Road South and Cameron Road. Eating other cuisines than Chinese didn’t sound appealing. We walked and walked and walked (too tiring leh) until we found Yuen Kee Restaurant 源記燒味粉麵茶餐廳. Oh finally, God must have answered our prayers!

Review of Yuen Kee Restaurant 源記餐廳 (Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong)

Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

Upon first glance, Yuen Kee Restaurant was as unassuming as it gets. Nothing fancy. No bells and whistles. As we went in further, we appreciated the interior design more as it was simple, much like those fair Chinese restaurants we have back home in Chinatown, Binondo, Manila. Some recipes of their menu were displayed via back-lit LED pictures on the wall. Overall, the place was well lit and spacious. Bright, busy and packed with dining customers, Yuen Kee was glamorous as a Hong Kong-style fast food establishment.

Service: ★★☆☆☆

The staff understood little English; it was better to speak with them in Cantonese for efficient communication. They acted fast and accommodated our requests from entrance to exit. However, they lacked warmth and cordiality with regard to serving and treating guests. How exactly?

I asked for iced cold water. The server gave hot water. We ordered an additional bowl of steamed rice, and it never came. Not wanting to waste and throw away leftover food, we asked for it to be packed. We were given an empty Styrofoam and plastic bag. The waiter told us to wrap the food ourselves and left us hanging. No guidance or help was provided when we asked how to separate the sauce and food in the Styrofoam to prevent spill-over. Thus, they would certainly not realize that mom already had just taken away one of their sauce containers with the sauce.

I guess that was an instance of culture shock for us. We have grown too familiar with Filipino customer service, which I describe as generally polite, full of cheer, and knowledgeable. And I was terribly missing those all the time when we were in Hong Kong.

Food: ★★☆☆☆

Food presentation impressed the camera, but the food tastes fell short on my expectations. We ordered Two Poultry Legs with Rice 雙脾飯 (HKD 68). The chicken meat was hard to chew and didn’t seem fresh. The flavors were not intense enough to polish our plate. This is a dish you would not dare to order on your second trip back. Unfortunately, the portion was hearty. I don’t know if it’s meant for sharing, but good luck in advance if you plan to finish it alone.

We also tried their Noodles in Oyster Sauce with Shrimp Wontons 雲吞撈麵 (HKD 33), which as well didn’t deserve to merit high marks. The egg noodles were springy in texture (that’s okay); the wonton balls, fully stuffed with shrimp popping out in every bite; and the broth of the soup, too light and almost tasteless. It’s not the version of shrimp wonton noodle soup that I crave.

Price for Value: ★★☆☆☆

Considering the quality and taste of food and the customer service we have experienced, the price for value is really not that good and not worth for a regular dinner. It wasn’t as good as I wished. So if only I was not too hungry that night, I would have rated Yuen Kee Restaurant’s food lower. 😐 See Yuen Kee Restaurant’s menu here.

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I wasn’t only excited to go to Hong Kong Disneyland for the theme parks’ attractions and rides. Of course, as a foodie, I was over-the-top thrilled for the highlight…and you guessed it right—food! Seeing cute pictures of Disney Character Dim Sum Lunch Set being served at Crystal Lotus Restaurant (Disneyland Hotel, Hong Kong) 大嶼山香港迪士尼樂園酒店 made me want to pack my bag and travel to Hong Kong right away! (Read the rest of our activities in Hong Kong and two-day trip itinerary here.)

Because the restaurant website states that at least 48 hours of reservation is required to avail of the Disney Character Dim Sum Lunch Set, I took a long-distance call to book for two sets in advance. I knew it was going to be a delightful treat both for our eyes and stomach, and it turned out I wasn’t wrong after all. 😉

Review of Crystal Lotus Restaurant 晶荷轩 (Disneyland Hotel, Hong Kong)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

We rode the Disney Resort Shuttle Bus (free service) from Hong Kong Disneyland Resort to the Disneyland Hotel. 10 minutes passed and we found ourselves lurking our way to Crystal Lotus Restaurant while directing our gaze to everything beautiful and elegant inside the hotel.

“True to its name, the décor of Crystal Lotus takes the theme of the majestic lotus.” The chandeliers were magnificent, pretty close to jaw-dropping.

The wall-to-wall design filled with crystal panels from the outside was stunning. Arranged in Victorian-style but still with Disney touch, the comfy chairs matched with the family-friendly tables well; it was a shame we couldn’t fit them in our suitcases. 😆

Service: ★★★★★

I mentioned my name to the restaurant receptionist and she immediately escorted us to our seats. The table was reserved for six of us, and we successfully contained our excitement seeing the menu for the first time (it’s not available online).

After quick checking, I realized that the Disney Character Dim Sum wasn’t listed on the menu. I had to ask the waiter for it and he reiterated about their policy (that it can only be served to those who have pre-ordered 48 before visiting on Mondays to Fridays). The staff had to validate with the hotel receptionist I talked with about my booking.

Finally, they confirmed and said that waiting time would be three minutes for the appetizers and the rest of the food on the character dim sum set will be released in half an hour’s time. Good grief. Proper timing was observed and our requests were accommodated with no issue.

Food: ★★★★☆

Food items were all so cute that we almost didn’t have the heart to bite into them. If you’re worried that the food is good only in visual presentation but not in taste, fret not. The food quality and standard here are generally at par with any first-rate Chinese restaurant.

For appetizer, we had Mickey’s Seafood Glutinous Pancake (米奇煎薄饼) which were perfectly browned on the sides, with tender, flurry insides. Shaped in Mickey Mouse face design, these pancakes were extra chewier than regular pancakes and less sweeter, so I suspect a combination of only rice and flour was in play. The twist? Tasting light in flavor, carrots and greens were mixed in the pan and fried until crispy.

Another appetizer was the Rice Pasta With Shredded Chicken in Sesame Sauce (麻酱鸡丝分皮) which consisted of cold rice noodles, cucumber and lettuce topped with shredded poached chicken and drizzle of sesame sauce. Motivating and sweet, the rice pasta had a good texture cooked just right not to mushy or slimy.

Next to arrived was my most awaited set: Disney Style Dim Sum! All praise be to the chef who executed the designs; what came out are these bun wonders that are surprisingly good. Even if it took us some time to eat them (because I was taking pictures for like five minutes in different angles), the warmth still permeated until the last bite. We slowly savored the Little Pig Barbecue Pork Bun (蚝汁叉烧猪仔包) and Little Green Men Pork and Vegetable Bun (绿色小人菜肉包).

The Little Pig Barbecue Pork Bun was filled with sweet barbecued pork (asado), and the Green Three Eyes Alien (character from Toy Story) was filled with vegetables. While I was instantly seduced by how they looked, I thought the fillings were lacking in the quantity department.

Moving on, we had the Double-boiled Sea Whelk and Stuffed Whole Dried Scallops in Mickey Winter Melon Soup (米奇元贝炖鸡). The chicken broth-based soup featured Mickey’s head which was actually winter melon cut-out, with stuffed dried scallop at the center and and carrot as the ears. The saltiness of the dried scallops imparted a lot of taste in the soup.

For the Chinese, the winter melon soup is known to increase energy, nourish the heart and tranquilize the mind. It’s definitely tagged as healthy! 🙂

The Wok-fried Shrimp and Disney Root Vegetables (豉汁芥兰度炒虾球) was one of my favorite in the array of dishes in the set, because I love eating vegetables. Joined by wok-fried fresh king prawns, the kale stems and carrots were crunchy and great with no additional seasoning required.

We were warned that the Braised de-boned Short Rib in Spicy Sichuan Sauce (彩椒双菌牛柳粒) would be spicy. Yup, it was a little spicy but not to the point when one should drink a glass of water (or maybe tea) to choke it down. The sauce which resembled almost beef soup had strong flavor, and the beef cubes were really tender and juicy.

Like in traditional Chinese dining, rice came last, just before desserts. The Fried Rice with Crispy Eel and Pickled Vegetables in Golden Nest (金盞脆鱔炒飯) was served with satisfying aroma. I didn’t seem to taste the eel as its taste was disguised as char siew. On the other hand, the pickled vegetables’ crunch and taste were evident and the thin deep-fried crispy wonton skin was so yummy.

Another batch of food we almost went insane for was the Combo of “Duffy” Steamed Red Bean Puree Bun (迪士尼小熊) and Chilled Dual “Mickey’s” Pudding. Duffy (a Disney bear, not chipmunk)’s inside was filled with not-too-sweet red bean (红豆). Screaming fall, the yellow-orange pudding was composed of pumpkin and almond. The green one—er, I forgot. Sorry! 😛 Anyway, it was also deliciously indulgent.

My dad is a strict vegetarian/vegan so he could not have anything on the Disney Character Dim Sum Lunch Set except for the dessert. For his main course, he had Si-Chuan Style Tofu with Mushrooms (HK$ 95) from the à la carte menu. The tofu was marinated before frying in the hot wok, and the result was flavorful, soft and chewy tofu with firm exterior. To anyone who likes tofu, I’m sure this is something you can enjoy.

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

We were not hotel room guests so price of the Disney Character Dim Sum Lunch Set was more expensive (HK$ 378), exclusive of service charge (which I recall to be 10% of the bill). Yes, the price is heavy but we had two sets shared by five people and the meal was enough to call lunch. The unique presentation and decorations of food was my main reason not to deter, aside from the hotel dining experience. Oh well, Crystal Lotus Restaurant is a winning Chinese restaurant inside Disneyland Hotel, so there’s nothing more that I can say.

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On the night we reached KL, we were sent straight to Hotel Pudu Plaza. After checking in, we looked for a nearby restaurant that seemed decent for dinner immediately. A lot of hawker restaurants serving local  Malay food were available, however the dishes were just not presented in a way that could easily capture my attention. Finally, we set foot in 瓦煲雞飯 (wa bao ji fan) and decided to try their signature Claypot Chicken Rice, which every table had.

Review of Claypot Chicken Rice 瓦煲雞飯 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

I glanced over at the menu posted on the wall and learned that it was only a listing of drinks.

Since they didn’t have a food menu, we had to specifically ask the staff to order. The boss and everyone else were speaking only in Mandarin and Malay. And apparently, they thought I was Japanese so they (including some other customers who heard me) were surprised when I spoke in Chinese. 😛

We had their signature Claypot Chicken Rice (瓦煲雞飯), Wintermelon Soup (冬瓜湯) and Chinese Stir-fried Lettuce (生菜). While waiting, I observed that it was interesting to see how the rice was being cooked using charcoal fire. Serving time was slow, since cooking rice in a claypot is really a slow process, but the result is worth the effort.

The claypot rice itself was done well. The bottom and sides developed an excellent crust that soaked up most flavor. However, I found that the claypot rice was dressed with too much black soy sauce and too much oil. Toppings consisted of savory chunks of skin-on, bone-in chicken, Chinese sausage (lap cheong) and mushroom. The chicken was a bit dry but plenty rich. Studded with fatty meat, the lap cheong was tender, sweet and smoky. The serving size was enough for two to share. The taste of 瓦煲雞飯 could get a little monotonous if you’d finish the entire portion alone.

Bright in color, the Chinese lettuce was good, crispy and fresh. It was a great side dish to the claypot chicken rice.

Any soup would be comforting for us that night, and we got the ever-nourishing and soothing Wintermelon Soup (also Cantonese in origin). It was cooked with pork bones and velvety cubes of wintermelon. The winter melon’s delicate white flesh had no distinct taste of its own, absorbing only the broth’s flavor.

Instead of going over the list of drinks all unfamiliar to us, we got the honeydew drink and sour plum juice. Their pictures were posted on the wall and somehow they looked good.

Light and refreshing, the honeydew juice turned out to taste like a hefty combination of green apple and melon juice. It was way better than the sour plum juice (suan mei, on the right), which was far from heavenly. Ugh, it tasted like salt and plum water (mouth-puckeringly sour) put together. I swear I won’t be salivating over this in a lifetime. It was so bad, but because Louie (the 壞人 that he is) chose the honeydew and inisted that I finish the sour plum one, I had no choice but to drink it. 🙁

This wasn’t the best meal we had in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In fact, it was the worst. 😛 But for one who loves authentic Malaysian-Cantonese food, it’s a damn solid one. The salty and crusty claypot rice would do justice for your hunger. Considering that we paid RM 20 for everything in this meal, it’s was a reasonably good deal.